PTC.com

Windchill® UsersQuick Start Guide

MAXIMIZE YOUR USER EXPERIENCE

PTC.comPage 2 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

Table of contents

Browsing in the NavigatorThe Navigator makes browsing and navigation easier ........................................................................................................................ 3

Searching in WindchillQuick and simple searches are always available at the top of the Windchill window. Retrieve previous searches with Search History

and Saved Searches. You can also use Advanced Search, for maximum flexibility ................................................................................ 4

Your Information: The Home Page and TablesThe Windchill Home Page displays information specific to you – your assignments, recent updates, checked-out work,

and more. Quickly see the information you need by customizing tables and choosing table views. ........................................................ 5

Information PagesThe object’s information pages organize information with tabs, including your own tabs, to show exactly the data you want to see ..... 6-7

Windchill DocumentsCreate and manage your files through Microsoft® Office® applications and Windows Explorer®, as well as directly through

your Web browser ..........................................................................................................................................................................8-9

Windchill PartsThe part information page contains a structure tab that allows you to create parts, edit part structures, and review and

add related information ............................................................................................................................................................10-11

CAD Data ManagementTop-down design (TDD) allows part structures to build CAD structures ........................................................................................12-13

Windchill Change ManagementStandardized and repeatable control over how informal and formal changes to product configurations are proposed,

evaluated, implemented and documented. ................................................................................................................................14-15

Glossary ....................................................................................................................................................................................16

Open and close the Navigator.

Display the Navigator alongside the rest of the page by pinning it in place.

Resize the Navigator as needed.

Products

Projects

Changes

Libraries

Organizations

Sites

Context type icons.

Page 3 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

Browsing in the Navigator

Recently visited context.

All contexts of a selected type.

Expand context to access pages specific to that context.

If you open any page within a context (for example, the information page of an object), it is added to the Navigator‘s Recently Visited list. To find contexts not already in your Recently Visited list, either select the icon for that context type and then hit “View all,” or use Search.

Did You Know?

PTC.comPage 4 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

Searching in Windchill

Select one or more object types (Part and Document are chosen here) and enter your search or select a recent search (such as Changes created by me or Keyword-gasket; Type-Part.

Easily access search results from inside the Navigator by clicking Edit Search Criteria. Your search results are retained even after the Navigator is closed.

Click Save This Search to add the search to your Saved Search list and to the keyword Search dropdown, where it remains until replaced by more recent searches.

Objects matching your search appear in the Search Results table.

Your search results are retained even when the Navigator is closed.

Did You Know?

Perform a saved or past search.

Modify a saved or past search before executing it.

Enter a Keyword to find matching criteria anywhere (for example, in a document’s content or attributes).

Object Type or types. Click Add if your type doesn’t appear.

Limit your search to one or more contexts.

Select specific attribute criteria if a keyword isn’t enough. Then search for All or Any of your entered criteria.

Advanced Search

Search History and Saved Searches

PTC.comPage 5 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

Your Information: The Home Page and Tables

Tables

Home

Display all objects loaded in the table that match your search.

Choose or save your view.

Further customize your table’s view by clicking on the small arrow that appears when you roll over a column header to Sort, Lock, and hide columns.

Click a column header to sort the table by that column.

Perform specific actions on objects in your tables by clicking these icons, or by choosing from the Actions menu, or by right-clicking on any row.

You can click Actions>Export List to File>Export List to XLSX to export your search results to a Microsoft® Excel® file. If you deploy the new Windchill Print Services module, you can click Actions>Batch Print to send the objects you select to a Windchill server-configured printer.

Tables can be modified using a column’s drop-down menu and saved for later reuse.

To perform an action on an object in a table, simply right-click over that row.

To open a link in a new window or tab, right-click and hold the CTRL button.

Did You Know?

Click Launch Task Assistant to retain task comments without returning to the task form.

Commonly used functions, such as user preferences, appear from Quick Links.

Takes you to your Home page.

Customize which tables appear on your Home page.

Work items you are responsible for, either as an owner, assignee, or resource.

Objects you recently created or modified.

Objects you currently have checked out.

PTC.comPage 6 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

The document’s identifying information such as its number, name and version.

Actions you can perform on the object.

Object attributes and information tables for the object are arranged in tabs.

Drag-and-drop the page anchors on the top of the pane to reorder the information tables.

Create a new tab.

Right-click to rename or remove a tab you have created.

Add new information tables to your new tab.

Click the View Information icon within tables and folders to view an object’s information page.

Did You Know?

Information Pages

PTC.comPage 7 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

Information Pages

Hover over an object’s thumbnail to navigate, see additional relationship information and take action on the object.

Resize either the window or the panes to see as much or as little as needed.

PTC.comPage 8 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

Find and manage your documents in Windchill directly from Windows Explorer’s Windchill Documents node. From here, you can navigate directly through a secure connection to folders in your system.

Drag-and-drop documents here to add them to Windchill.

To see Windchill documents in Windows Explorer and in Microsoft Office applications, download and install Windchill Desktop Integration, available from Quick Links>Software Downloads, and connect to the Windchill server.

Did You Know?

Windchill Documents: Integration with Windows Explorer

Create a new document either by clicking the New Document icon or choosing New Document from an actions menu.

Windchill documents contain both content, such as Microsoft Office files, and metadata about that content. A single Windchill document can contain related attachments as well as the primary content.

Did You Know?

PTC.comPage 9 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

Confirmation windows with embedded links inform you of server actions, and automatically disappear.

Select the type of document.

Identifying information, such as the document’s name and description.

Perform a variety of Windchill actions from within Microsoft Office.

Check in or add a document directly from Microsoft Office applications.

Manage Windchill Server connections. If you install Windchill Desktop Integration, you can open

and save new Windchill documents directly from the Office application’s Open and Save As menu.

Did You Know?

Windchill Documents: Integration with Microsoft Office

PTC.comPage 10 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

Windchill Parts

Document

Reference Document

Requirement

Specification

CAD Document

Viewable

Another Part

(End Item in this example)

Uses

Usage links contain information such as: • Quantity• Unit of Measure• Line Number • Find Number

Uses

Visual representation of the part.

Part’s identification information.

Part Relationship Diagram

PTC.comPage 11 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

In the Uses tab, enter a partial part number or name and the system will auto-suggest matching parts that you can select to add.

Find parts in the product structure. The structure is expanded to reveal matching parts within subassemblies and allows easy navigation from one match to the next.

The actions toolbar contains frequently used viewing, editing, and analysis functions.

Directly access, view, and edit information stored in the Occurrences tab.

View and edit the part structure, including related CAD data and documents, and usage information.

Icons within the action ribbon.

Use Configuration Specification, Attributes and Spatial Criteria to display the desired product structure configuration.

Did You Know?

Editing Windchill Part Structures

To change the panel display on the Structure tab, right-click anywhere in the Structure tab or click Display in the actions toolbar.

PTC.comPage 12 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

Select and configure custom table views.

Apply workspace actions to single or multiple objects.

CAD Data Management: Workspaces and Model Structures

View a model’s structure.

Adjust structure view to show additional attributes and Show/Hide related parts.

Add assembly to workspaces or baselines.

Compare the model and its related part structure.

You can add an object to your workspace by right-clicking the object and selecting Add to>Add to Workspace from the commonspace’s Search Results or the Folder Browser.

Did You Know?

Action Icons Status Glyphs

Checked out from PDMChecked out by another user

Checked out by you

Checked out by you in another workspace

Checked out to a project

Another Iteration is checked out by another user

Another Iteration is checked out by you

Modifications uploaded

NewShared from PDMModified in workspace and upload needed

Modified and not eligible for upload

Shared to a projectCheck In

Check Out

Undo Checkout

Update Locked

PTC.comPage 13 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

From the top screen, click Compare Part Structure to launch the Structure Compare tool from either a CAD structure or Part Structure for a side-by-side structure comparison.

Click the Build multi-level Part structure icon to propagate (build) structure changes from the left structure to the right structure.

View the specific differences between the two structures by clicking the up and down arrows.

Differences between the two structures appear with a red font.

Lower-pane tabs provide additional attribute, usage and related-object information.

CAD Data Management: Comparing Structures

PTC.comPage 14 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

Windchill Change Management

Problem Report Waiver Deviation

Change Request

Change Notice

Change Task Change Task Change Task

Assess your change tasks directly from the Assignments table on your Home page through the right-click actions menu.

Use the Change Summary table to easily see all the data on the Change Notice without having to navigate to each Change Activity separately.

Additional default table views include views for Affected Parts and Change Intent. Additionally, you may customize your view to meet your organization’s business needs.

Display Parts, CAD Documents, Documents and other items on the change.

Easily compare information.

Item Description Required

Problem Report

Define an issue or opportunity Optional

Deviation Acceptance of planned departure from configuration before part is built

Optional

WaiverAcceptance of non-conformance after part has been built Optional

ChangeRequest

Define business and technical justification for the change.

Optional(with preference)

ChangeNotice

Define plan for data to be Released Yes

ChangeTask

Assign, track and review data andwork against the Change Notice

Yes (at least one)

Change terminology in WindchillChange workflow

PTC.comPage 15 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

Windchill Change Management: Create New Change Request

Start a New Change Request by right-clicking on the affected object and choosing New>New Change Request from the actions menu.

Add additional Affected Objects with Paste or Add, or use Collector to find related items.

Comments for Affected Objects, such as why this item was added (this is separate from Disposition Comments).

Related Changes, such as Problem Reports, Deviations and Waivers.

Business or technical justifications (e.g., files, links, etc.).

Enter the Name, Description, Proposed Solution and other attributes.

Objects that are either impacted by or referenced by the Change.

All tables in the Changes context have create actions, allowing you to quickly start changes without additional navigation.

Did You Know?

PTC.comPage 16 of 16 | Windchill Quick Start Guide

© 2011, Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC). All rights reserved. Information described herein is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a guarantee, commitment, condition or offer by PTC. PTC, the PTC Logo, Windchill, Pro/INTRALINK and all PTC product names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of PTC and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. All other product or company names are property of their respective owners. The timing of any product release, including any features or functionality, is subject to change at PTC’s discretion.

7158 – WC Quick Start – EN –1211

Glossary

New to Windchill? Here are some important terms and concepts you should know:

Actions: Performing a task against an object or table in Windchill is called an action. Actions are available from Icons on a table’s toolbar, the Actions menu on information pages and toolbars, and right-click Actions menu on rows in tables.

CAD documents: CAD files (for example, models or drawings) are managed in Windchill as CAD documents. CAD documents and their structures can be associated to Windchill parts. A CAD document is the CAD designer’s view of the design, and a Windchill part is the rest of the enterprise’s view of the same design. For example, AML/AVL information is only associated with the corresponding Windchill part. This associative relationship enables CAD structures to automatically build part structures. New with Windchill 10.0 is top-down design (TDD), allowing part structures to build CAD structures.

Change Management: Windchill functionality that manages issues and improvements to products and processes via a robust, closed-loop system. Changes can be identified, tracked and viewed across the enterprise. The entire enterprise can then assess how these changes in product data will affect different teams.

Commonspace: A collective term for the data that is not in a user’s workspace. The Folder Browser is Windchill’s equivalent of the commonspace in Pro/INTRALINK®.

Contexts: Contexts can be thought of as separate data vaults. There are three main types of contexts in Windchill:

• Products: A product is typically thought of as the physical item manufactured and sold to customers. Windchill expands the concept of a product to include the environment in which users collaborate to develop parts.

• Libraries: A library is typically a vault for common parts, models and documents.

• Projects: A project is a virtual location into which you invite people to collaborate as a project team. Projects are ad-hoc collaboration spaces, as opposed to Products and Libraries, which allow you more control of product development processes.

Information Pages: An information page is used to access information about, and perform actions on, a particular object.

Objects: An object is a generic name for business data that is added to, and managed in, the Windchill system. For example, a part, a CAD document, and a Windchill document are all Windchill objects.

Occurences: An occurrence in Windchill is a database object that stores information about one named usage of a part within a part structure.

Roles: A role determines the access privileges that users have and what they are allowed to do within contexts. Manager, reviewer, observer, or approver are all examples of roles.

Tables: Information about multiple objects is commonly presented in tables. Because some tables can contain large quantities of data, you can define a view to display just the objects and columns that you want to see.

Versions, Revisions, and Iterations: When you save an object in Windchill for the first time, you create the first version of it. In Windchill, most objects are assigned a revision and iteration. Together, the revision and iteration define the object’s version. For example, if A.1 is the version, A is the revision and 1 is the iteration.

Workspace: A workspace is a private area where you can manage your CAD work and perform CAD data management operations.

Version

A.1

Revision Iteration